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The harem unveiled

From Issue 48

Hidden from the view of visitors trailing through the Topkapı Palace, a modest door in a narrow corridor in the Harem opens into an empty but splendid set of privy chambers. Cornucopia was given rare access to these rooms, which cast light on the way imperial tastes changes during the 18th century and how Dutch tiles became such a prominent feature of the decor. Nurhan Atasoy and fellow art historians from Turkey and Holland tell the story. Photographs by Fritz von der Schulenburg.